Sarasota Memorial Hospital claims to be in the top 50, maybe in the billing department!
I had emergency surgery to remove my apendix last weekend. I stayed in the hospital for only one night and was released the next morning. I found out some interesting information the day after getting back home. Some of that information really did not jive with the info. That the doctor gave me before surgery. He gave me a ballpark price of $1000 for his work done on me and that the hospital stay would be about $5000 for a one night stay. Well, he was absolutely wrong. His bill was exactly twice what he told me, $2000. And the hospital bill was a staggering $11,5000 for a one night stay. One thing that he said was actually pretty true, he said that 'it is not very smart to not have health insurance'. Oh really?
Now it only took me one week to actually speak to a human being in the billing department about my bill and some financial support or advice. The hospital and the doctor both know that I have recently lost my job and am working another job with no benefits and very little income. Just enough pay to pay all of my bills on time and to eat and give the occasional drink to my thirsty car. They know that I am unisured so this is what they told me are my options, being that I make very little money and I have no health benefits of any kind. If I pay off the entire amount they will kindly reduce the bill in half. Isn't that lovely of them? The other option is to fill out this application and have 'the board' discuss whether or not they will make any changes to the bill.
Absolutely DISGUSTING that a one night saty in a hospital can cost a guy well over $11,000.
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